People in Limburg feel less healthy

A majority in the Dutch population evaluate their own health as ranging from good to excellent. Nearly one in five individuals evaluate their own state of health as rather poor. This category is overrepresented in the province of Limburg. They visit their GP relatively often. This emerges from the Health Survey published by Statistics Netherlands.

Persons in poor health by province, 2004/2007

Majority evaluate own health as (very) good

Over 80 percent of the Dutch population rate their own health as (very) good. A minority (19.5 percent) rate their own state of health as (fairly) poor. With 23 and 21 percent respectively, residents of Limburg and Flevoland in particular feel less healthy. Only 18 percent of people living in the province of Drenthe – the lowest overall percentage – feel less healthy.  

GP contacts last year by province, 2004/2007

GP contact rate highest in Limburg and Flevoland, lowest in Friesland

In the two provinces where people are pessimistic about their own state of health, the GP contact rate also appears to be higher. Proportionally, people in Limburg and Flevoland more often visit their GP than in other provinces. On average, nearly 73 percent of the population contact their GP at least once a year, as against 76 percent in Limburg and Flevoland. In the northern part of the Netherlands, the contact rate is lower. With 68 percent, residents of the province of Friesland stand out positively.

Frans Frenken (CBS) and Henriëtte Giesbers (RIVM)